Lady&#39;s head-gear.



N. E. HUGHES-MAHONE.

LADY'S HEAD GEAR.

N. E. HUGHES-MAHONE.

LADYS HEAD GEAR.

APPLICATION IILED NOV. 1, 1912.

1,092,794. Patented Apr. 7, 1914.

Fi g. 9

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

NORAH EDITH HUGI-IEEl-MAHONE, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

LADYS HEAD-GEAR.

Specification ofLetters Patent.

Patented Apr. 7, 191a.

Application filed. November '7, 1912. Serial No. 730,031.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NORAH EDITH I-Iuenns- MAHONE, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at London, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in Ladies Head-Gear, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to ladies head-coverings of the collapsible type, that is to say of the kind which can be folded-up or closed when out of use and unfolded or opened for use, without disturbing the drapery, such head-coverings being, therefore, particularly adapted for theaters and other public places or for traveling, where the ordinary headcovering is inconvenient. Such head-coverings comprise, essentially, a frame or shape composed of a series of arched or semi-circular members (assimilating ribs) which are hinged or pivoted together at the two sides of the head-covering so that they can be collapsed or distended without prejudicially affecting the drapery arranged on them in such manner as to accommodate itself to the movements thereof. In some constructions no means are provided for retaining the members in the distended position, but a provision of this sort is desirable, and in this connection it has been proposed to apply an extensible device consisting of a series of hinge-jointed elements furnished with stops or the like for maintaining them in the extended position, the alternate hinges or oints being secured to the members forming the frame or shape This device, which, in the mechanical sense, may be. considered as being of the hinged-rule class, is situated at a point distant or remote from the pivotalpoints or hinges of the frame or shape members and, therefore, has no direct connection or relationship therewith. Consequently, in practice, this device necessitates a start being manually or independently given to it when in the extended position in order that the frame or shape can be closed since it may be said a dead center exists, and even such an operation may be necessary to procure the extended position, both of which involve impracticable actions if the drapery is not to be disarranged having regard to its intended combination therewith. According to my in vention I, too, construct a frame or shape per se, in substantially the known fashion,

and I further provide, as is already known, means for maintaining the constituent members of the frame or shape in their distended position, but these means I constitute by devices forming either indirectly or directly parts of some of the members and situated at or in close proximity to their pivotal points or hinges, whereby I obtain a complete construction wherein the opening and closing of the members of the frame or shape effect the positive and synchronous operation of the locking means, and, therefore, without any starting actuations be ing necessary. Thus I provide a complete head-covering of a simple and compact construction, wherein the locking and unlocking of the frame or shape members are automatically accomplished, and one in which the operations are further effected with the minimum of trouble and with also the minimum possibility of the drapery being disarranged or disturbed.

I will now describe my invention with reference to the accompanying drawings which show several forms thereof, all in the distended position with the exception of Figure 5, and whereof Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one form and Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof, while Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are, respectively, a fragmentary side elevation, a fragmentary nd elevation, and a fragmentary side elevation representing certain details on a larger scale, Fig. 5 corresponding to Fig. 4: but showing a partially collapsed condition. Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are, respectively, a fragmentary side elevation, a corresponding end elevation, and a detail end elevation of another form. Fig. 9 is a fragmentary side elevation of a further form, and Fig. 10 is a plan of the same. Fig. 11 is a perspective view of another form, and Fig. 12 is a front elevation thereof, while Figs. 13 and 14 are, respectively, a fragmentary side elevation and a corre sponding plan on an enlarged scale of details thereof. Fig. 15 is a fragmentary side elevation of a still further form.

The same numerals of reference are employed throughout to denote the same or corresponding parts.

According to the various examples illustrated, I employ a number of members 1-1 of ordinary covered wire, and each of an arched or semi-circular contour.

The precise contour is, of course, determined by the type of headgear as is exemplified by Figs. 1 and 2 and by Figs. 11 and 12 which show, respectively, a bonnet and a hat. I assemble these members 1-1 so that the free ends at each side are more or less in alinement and through these ends I pass directly or indirectly a suitable pivot 2. Means 3, 3 are ap-' plied in connection with the pivots 2, 2 for maintaining or locking the members 11 in the full-open position. As shown in Figs. 1, 2, 11 and 12, I connect each member 1 to its neighbor or neighbors at suitable intervals by a flexible medium 4, such as tape or coiled Wire, so as to insure their movement in COI1- cert. The whole, therefore, constitutes a frame or shape, and upon the members 11 and the medium 4 I secure the drapery so as to move in unison therewith.

As represented in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 1 and 5 one form of lock comprises a disk 5 mounted on the pivot 2 so as to constitute an integral part thereof (as indicated in Fig. 8), and a pair of segmental plates 6, 6 each of which is centered on the pivot 2. To the free end of one of these plates 6, 6 I connect the extremity of one extreme member 1, and to the corresponding end of the other plate 6 I fasten the extremity of the other extreme member 1. Thus these plates 6, 6 serve to connect the members 1, 1 to the pivot 2 which are, therefore, attached indirectly, and, of course, the plates 6, 6 and members 1, 1 move as one piece, and consequently also the other members ll due to the connec' tion 4:. Projections 7, 7 are provided upon the plates 6, 6 for co-acting with depressions 8, 8 in the disk 5, the function of these projections 7, 7 and'depressions 8, 8 being to engage when the members 11 are fully opened and thereby lock them in such position. 7 The arrangement is preferably such that the engagement is by a snap-like action, hence to guide the projections 7, 7 into the depressions 8, 8 the edge of the disk 5 is or may be suitably shaped as indicated at 9, or the same effect may be secured by themherent resiliency of the projections 7, 7 when of such a character. A pin 10 is provided upon the disk 5 to serve as a stop to the plates 6, 6 when the members 1-1 are fully opened.

In a modification, as depicted in Figs. 6, 7 and 8, only one plate 6 is employed in connection with one extreme member 1, the other extreme member 1 being secured to the disk 5. Thus in the first arrangement (Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4c) the members 11 may be closed from either the back or front of the head-covering, whereas in the other case (Figs. 6 and 7) they are closed only from the side where the member 1 is connected to the plate 6. Thus the members 1-1 may be turned as a. whole on or about the pivots 2, 2 to extend or collapse the head-covering to meet the desired use, and when in the extended position maintenance is insured by the locking means 3, 3 at the pivots 2, 2, such locking means being formed by indirect parts of the extreme members 1, 1.

The pivot 2, disk 5, plates 6, 6 and pin 10 are of any suitable metal or material affording the requisite lightness and strength.

The extreme members 1, 1 are secured to the plates 6, 6 or to the plate 6 and disk 5, by brazing or otherwise, while the ends of the other members 11 are fashioned as loops or eyes to receive the pivot 2.

The projections 7, 7 and the depressions 8, 8 may be variously obtained. Thus they can both be produced by stamping or punching action as in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, or, as in Figs. 6 and 7, only the depressions 8, 8 may be so obtained, the projections 7, 7 being constituted by prolonging the end of the member 1 beyond the edge of the plate 6-and bending it over, the natural resiliency of the member procuring the desired snap action.

Now as to Figs. 9 and 10. Here, though only the two extreme members 1, 1 are shown, all the members are centered on the pivot 2. The ends of the members 1, 1 are fashioned as illustrated to constitute the lock 3 themselves in conjunction with their inherent resiliency, that is to say they directly form the locking means. The lock comprises a kink or depression 8 in one member and, as a complement, the normal or straight portion 7 of the other member 1. When the portion 7 reposes in the kink or depression 8, the distended condition is maintained, while when disengagement is effected the collapsed state ensues. The folding and opening operations can be effected from both the back and front of the head-covering as in Figs. 1 and 2.

Next as to Figs. 11, 12, 13 and let. In the construction represented all the members l1, with theexception of one extreme member 1, are centered on the pivot2. which is combined with a plate 5 after the fashion of the disk 5 shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 and in Figs. 6 and 7. The extreme member 1 is connected to one end o-f the plate 5 in the same, or in-a similar, way as the like member 1 is secured to the disk 5 illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7. The other extreme member 1 is adapted to constitute the lock 3 with the corresponding end of the plate 5. For this purpose the plate 5 is formed with a "depression 8 into, andfrom, which, as a complement, the portion 7 of the member is adapted to be sprung under its own resiliency to respectively maintain the distended position or admit of the collapse- Here the locking means 3, 3 are directly and indirectly formed by the members 1, 1. As in the arrangement 1 shown in Figs. 6 and 7, closure is effected from the hinged extreme member 1.

Lastly as to Fig. 15 which illustrates a form wherein only the two extreme members 1, 1 are centered on the pivot 2, some of the remainder being directly connected to them while the rest are indirectly connected. The extreme members 1, 1 and lock 3 are arranged and constituted as described with reference to Figs. 9 and 10, hence further explanation is unnecessary. Each of these extreme members 1, 1 is formed with a kink or eye 11 to receive the adjoining end of the next member 1 and thus serve as a hinge therewith. This latter member is likewise formed with a kink or eye 12 to receive the ends of a spiral spring 13 to which the other members 11 are turnably connected at intervals. Thus when the extreme members 1, 1 are engaged and disengaged at the lock 3 distention and collapse accrue accordingly, the operations being effected from either the back or front.

I may construct all or some of the members 11 as spiral springs, hinging some of them or not as explained. Thus the headcovering may be wholly or mainly collapsed and extended by compressing and releasing the members.

It is evident that in every example the opening and closing of the members 11 of the frame or shape automatically effects the locking and unlocking, i. 6., the actuation of the means 3, 3 Without any disarrangement of the drapery, and that the headcovering in every instance is of a very simple and compact nature.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a collapsible head-covering for ladies, a frame composed of a series of members pivoted so that they can be collapsed and distended, in combination with locking means consisting of devices forming parts of some of the said members and situated in close proximity to the pivotal points thereof, substantially as described.

2. In a collapsible headcovering for ladies, in combination, a shape composed of members hinged about a common pivot at each side of the covering, flexible media attaching said members at intervals, and locking means constituted by parts of some of the said members near the pivots thereof, substantially as described.

3. In a collapsible head covering for ladies, a frame composed of a series of members pivoted so that they can be collapsed and distended, in combination with locking means consisting of a depression in one extreme member of said series and a complementary straight portion on the other extreme member thereof, said straight portion engaging and disengaging said depression to, respectively, maintain the distended position of the frame and permit the collapse of same, substantially as described.

NORAH EDITH HUGHES-MAHONE.

\Vitnesses J AMES ANDREW HARVEY, R. Wns'raoorr.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

